The invention relates generally to welding and cutting systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for providing integrated cable management in welding and cutting systems.
Welding and cutting processes have increasingly become utilized in various industries and applications. Welding and cutting processes may include, but are not limited to, processes such as: gas metal arc welding (GMAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), flux cored arc welding (FCAW/FCAW-S), submerged arc welding (SAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), carbon arc gouging (CAW), plasma arc welding (PAW), and plasma cutting. Such processes may be automated in certain contexts, although a large number of applications continue to exist for manual welding and cutting operations. Such manual operations rely on a variety of types of equipment, including various cables for carrying electrical current between a power supply, a workpiece, and a handheld torch.
In various industries, welding and cutting processes may be performed using machines that are transportable to and from a worksite. Various cable management systems may be utilized with portable welders and plasma cutters to enable relatively easy transportation of the machines and their associated cables. Existing cable management systems have several disadvantages. For example, some welding or cutting machines utilize straps to secure the cables together. However, these secured cables still are not maintained in a relatively stationary position relative to the portable machine as it is carried from place to place. Other portable welders and cutters include sheet metal brackets or hangers located along a front panel of the machine so that the cables may be wrapped around these. However, the cables may slip off of the hanger if they are not wound tightly and, in some instances, there may be no way to secure the clamp or torch located at the end of the cables. Still other portable welding and cutting machines include pouches, such as an accessory bag that hangs over a side of the machine or a machine cover with pockets. These pouches are separate from the physical machine itself and may require an undesirable amount of time and energy to attach to, or position over, the machine. In addition, such pouches may not be fully secured to the machine, so that the pouch jostles during transportation of the machine. Accordingly, it is now recognized that there exists a need for improved cable management systems that are integrated with the welding or cutting machine.